I am so excited that this story is now up to over a hundred followers! Thank you so much to all of you who have continued reading! And thank you to those of you who have left reviews. As promised this chapter has more Draco to it. Once again, please review and let me know your thoughts!
-x-
Draco sat hunched over his desk, scribbling feverishly along the piece of parchment. He had been in his office for the better part of the day finalizing the results of a restorative memory potion he had been working on. Normally such tasks came to him with ease, but his mind had been clouded and he was finding it difficult to focus his concentration. His thoughts would continuously drift back to Hermione.
The two had met the previous day for coffee, and strolled leisurely through a nearby park. The conversation had consisted of more talk of their interests and hobbies. They talked of happy memories of their childhoods, Draco seemingly fascinated by aspects of the muggle world. They talked of school, and he practically spit out his drink when Hermione confessed about the polyjuice incident second year. She was impressed to learn how knowledgeable he had become of muggle literature, though he did confess he had yet to read something he could feel related to the wizarding world in any way. She had told him of a book she thought he might like, and to remind her the next time he was in the shop.
He had seen her laugh, seen the beauty of her smile, and the glimmer in her eye when she did so. With every encounter he was finding himself more entranced by her. He had thrown caution to the wind, and did not regret doing so, but he now found himself becoming unsettled by how much interest he was showing in the witch. It wasn't that it bothered him, he was merely feeling unsure what to make of it. He had dated since the war, but up until now, had never felt this way about a woman. He had never been mesmerized by a woman's beauty, never marveled at a woman's intelligence, never felt so intrigued by a woman's character, and certainly had never felt as if his mind had been consumed by one. To him, it was like coming up for air. Like he was finally beginning to feel something real. Something resembling happiness.
Happiness was something he had been searching for ever since school. His life had been consumed by so much darkness for so long due to his father, and the rise of the Dark Lord. He carried the burden of Dumbledore's death on his shoulders. He hated himself for agreeing to the task, for not standing up to the evil, for not asking for help when he had the chance. When he apologized to Hermione for what happened at his house, he truly meant it. The vision of her laying across the drawing room floor of his childhood home, the same room his mother used to read him bedtime stories in, with droplets of blood trickling down her arm.
The sound of her screams echoing off of the walls and piercing his very soul, haunted him. Another item that he hated himself for, wishing like all hell he could go back and stop it all. She had forgiven him, but he had never given himself the same respect.
He stopped his writing and looked up at the clock that was mounted upon the wall. Eight o'clock. He was supposed to have met up with Pansy and Blaise at the Leaky Cauldron by now. Knowing that he would be awakened by a very angry, and potentially screaming Pansy if he skipped out on their plans again, Draco stood from his desk, retrieving his coat from the rack in the corner. He waved his wand to darken the room and as he exited flicked his wrist and the door was locked. He made his way through the dimly lit corridors of St. Mungo's, nodding politely at the few nurses he passed on his way out.
Upon arrival, he quickly found his friends seated in a booth and chose to ignore the few glares he received as he ventured his was towards the pair.
"There you are! We were beginning to think you stood us up again." Pansy stated as Draco planted a quick kiss on her cheek before shaking Blaise's hand.
"And have you nearly rip my head off at the ass crack of dawn again? No thanks."
"I would not!" she tried to sound offended.
"Yes you would've" Blaise replied coolly from behind his glass, causing Pansy to glare at him.
"Well excuse me for wanting him to spend New Year's Eve somewhere else aside from his flat or his office."
"And with that, I'm going to get a drink. Either of you need another?"
Pansy shook her head, Blaise nodded.
Upon reaching the bar, he came across Neville Longbottom, the few exchanged a few words after which Neville asked his wife to fill Draco's drinks on the house before shaking his hand. Draco nodded in appreciation and made his way back to his table. The exchange did not go unnoticed by a certain witch who had been sitting at the bar with friends, though he did not see her there.
After a few drinks, he managed to unwind a bit, and found himself actually enjoying his evening out with his friends. When Pansy had excused herself to the restroom, Draco took a moment to glance around the bar happening to make eye contact with the woman who he had spent much of the day thinking about. She gave him a small smile before resuming her conversation. Draco smirked at her, but quickly made it disappear when he caught Blaise staring.
"What?" he said in a gruff voice before throwing back the rest of his drink.
"What do you think?" Blaise said, raising his glass towards her.
"We're friends." he shrugged trying to sound convincing.
"Friends?" Blaise sounded off with a knowing look.
"What? You know I don't think that way about muggleborns anymore. What's wrong with her and I being friends?"
"Nothing is wrong with it at all. But friends? C'mon mate, I think I know you better then that"
Draco was shooting daggers at his old friend, but faltered slightly, knowing Blaise would be the last person to give him hell over it. "We're just talking alright? Nothing more then friends right now."
"Right now? So you want more?" he asked.
Draco looked back over to the witch again, catching her mesmerizing smile once more. Shrugging his shoulders he answered with a simple "possibly."
"Well if want my opinion-"
"I don't"
"Tough shit, you're getting it anyway, and you can wipe that look off your face, that may do its job to silence Pansy but it's not gonna work on me. Now listen to me. You need to stop beating on yourself over what happened sixth year. It wasn't your fault that you-"
"Don't go there Zabini." Draco shot him a menacing glare.
"Fine, but you deserve to have someone mate. Now I personally don't give two shits if it's bloody know it all Granger or not. If it'll pull you at of this hole you've stuck yourself in for the past few years then I'll cheers to that."
Draco didn't respond, he knew that Blaise was right but rather then admit it he decided on leaving it as Pansy returned to the table. The men dropped the previous discussion and resumed the evening with talks of their time at school, and how their lives were going.
As the end of the night neared, Draco decided to leave his friends, not wanting to join in the midnight festivities. As he reached the door he was met by a pair of warm chocolate brown eyes.
"Leaving already?" she asked, the slight scent of firewhiskey on her breath.
"Nothing to miss really." he said with a shrug.
She eyed him curiously for a moment. "Wait here a minute." before he could respond she disappeared into the crowd, returning a few minutes later with her coat fastened around her. "Walk me home?" she asked.
Giving her another smirk, he reached over to grasp the handle and held the door open for her. As she stepped outside he glanced back over to his friends. While Pansy paid no attention, Blaise raised his glass to him and nodded in approval.
The two made their way up the alley, talking about their respective evenings. Draco smiled to himself when he realized that Hermione seldom drank, and she seemed to be a lot more relaxed. When they reached her shop he had gone to leave when she stopped him.
"Do you want to come in? To the shop that is? I have that book I thought you may find interesting."
"Sure." he said as he followed her up the few steps.
Once inside, Hermione removed her wand and lit only a few lamps, just enough so the pair could see. She removed her coat setting it on the counter and Draco mimicked the action. Hermione turned squinting her eyes at him.
"What?" he asked.
"Back at the bar. What was that between you and Neville?"
His brows rose with surprise. "Saw that did you?"
"Neville asked his wife to give you your drinks for free, and shook your hand. I'd say I'd noticed."
"You know, your curiosity is going to get you into trouble one of these days."
"That may be true, but I doubt today is that day."
He laughed. "Be that as it may, I can't say what it was about."
"Can't? Or won't?"
"A bit of both I guess. In actuality it's not my business to tell. You would have to ask him."
She wanted to press him more, but something about his answer told her already that he wasn't going to share anymore with her. "Very well. Come on then, this way." she gestured for him to follow her.
As they made their way down the aisles he watched her as she absentmindedly ran her fingers along the spines of the various texts that sat upon the shelves. This was where she was most at peace, where she belonged. The place that embodied so much of who she was. A tomb filled with knowledge and stories of adventure. As he followed her movements with his eyes, he wondered how different things could have been had he been able to see this side of her before.
She stopped at a section and used her finger to skim over the shelves until she found what she had came for.
She removed a small novel and looked over it. "It's called 'Night' by Elie Weisel. You said you had a hard time connecting with muggle texts. I think you will with this one." she said as she placed it in his hand.
"Why?" he asked as he took it from her.
"I think you are too hard on yourself at times. You changed your beliefs Draco. But I think you don't give yourself enough credit for that."
"But how will this-"
"Just read it. Read it all and then I'll explain." she offered him a warm smile.
"How do you do it? How are you able to still see the good in me even though there is so much bad?"
"Because I don't think you were ever truly a bad person. I don't think you just woke up on morning and questioned every thing you knew. I think you have always questioned it. I think you've always had good in you."
Draco stood staring into her eyes as she looked up to him. He searched for any sign of dishonesty despite him knowing he would find none. He knew she was telling the truth. He knew in that moment how much she was beginning to mean to him. He took a step towards her, and when she didn't move or show any sign of hesitancy, he slowly raised his free hand, pushing a stray curl behind her ear. All the while she kept her eyes transfixed on his. He stilled himself allowing her a chance to pull back. When she didn't, he placed his finger under her chin, and leaned into her placing a soft kiss on her lips. He pulled away only an inch opening his eyes to see hers once more, searching again. Always searching for a shred of doubt or uncertainty. Again there was none. It was her who pressed her lips back to his. She had wrapped her arms around his neck, slightly pushed up in her toes to reach him, his arms clasped around her small waist holding her close to him. This time they kissed with more passion, as if the connection was something the two of them had been missing all along. Years of damage slipped away as they poured into one another.
Ringing of church bells and muffled cheers invaded the moment as the new year dawned. Resting his forehead against hers, he kept his eyes closed as he reveled in the moment.
"Happy New Year Hermione." he whispered. "Happy New Year Draco."
-x-
What did you think? I hope you enjoyed. Please Review!
*note: 'Night' is a book written by a survivor of Auschwitz. I read it in college and it is one of the most powerful books I have ever come across.*
